Vamp easer



June 19,1928. 1,674,499

. T. CARTER VAMP- EASER Filed Sept. 16, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR' THEODORE CARTER.

B W. i g ATTORNEY Patented June 19, 1928.

arren STATES" v 1,674,499 PATENT OFFICE;

THEODORE oARrER, or VALLEY STREAM, NEWYORK.

VAMP EASER.

Application filed September 16, 1927; Serial No. 219,862.

This invention relates to means for stretching-the vamp throat of a shoe to adjust it to the individual instep.

An object of the. invention is to provide an adjustable tool for stretchingonly the throat of the vamp of a shoe without otherwise altering. the size or symmetrical ap' pearance of the vamp, the tool being so flexible in its operation that/its parts properly adjustthemselves whether the shoe high heeled or low heeled. and whether 1t 18' original line and often tends to press on the I foot, thereby subjecting the wearer to much discomfort. This condition is due partly to the improper design and measurement-of shoes and partly to the marked dissimilarity 1 in feet which must-be :fitted-with shoes'of' Some feet are fleshy while standard sizes. I p 4 others are tl11n,-and: 1n' the bony formation some insteps rise a-bruptly while others redating itself to various types of cede "from the lines of the shoe pattern. 7

Hleretofore, attempts have been made to relieve thetension'at the vamp throatby 1 using shoe stretchers such as are commonly employed to stretch shoes across the ball region of the vamp. suited for this work because they enlarge the entire vamp and change the shape and symmetry'of the shoe before any appreciable stretching is noticed at the vamp throat. As a last resort, shoe dealers sometimes'alter the line of the vamp by cutting and rebind-y the appearance of 111g, which at best gives a repair ob.

Thelpresent mvention provides a simple -and eflicient tool for easing the pressure atthe vamp throat of a shoe Without otherwise stretching it. This tool includes a'heel piece inserted in'the heel seatand a tilting easer block inserted under the vamp throat. The block is relieved so as not "to stretch the ball region of the vampbut is rounded to" conform generally to the contour of the These tools are unvamp throat. iWh en the block moves forward and tilts upon the application of powerg -only the vamp throat is stretched. Sliding and tilting of the block in the desired manneris facilitated by rounding it on the bottom, and by providing a fiatfiller piece on which it canslide and tilt when the power is applied. The" easer block-is'separated from the heel piece by a suitable power device such as a screw.

:A feature of the invention resides in providing. auniversal or ball and socket connection between the heel pieceandthe easer block to not only facilitatethe forward slid ing and tilting movement of the easer block when power is applied; but also to allow relative lateral movement between the block and the heelpiece to fit shoes of different shapes, and relativevertical movement to fit high and low heeled shoes. In the preferred form shown herein,- the power screw is pivotally connected as by aball and socket to one of the elements, such as the heel piece, and carries a threaded nut having a lug which is horizontally pivoted to the'other element, such as the easer block.

. In a modified form, the screw is directly between the elements, one carrying a nut engaging the screw, and the other a ball recess-in which the rounded end of the screw can pivot when power is applied; This latter form embodies :the broad principle of the invention butis not as flexible in accommoshoes, as inthe-preferred form.

showing a modified forin of the tool in posi tion. i

Fig. 4 is Fig. 5 is a plan view of the preferred form. Q q

In the drawingsthe tool is shown in its preferred form in Figs. 1 and 2 and com- The invention will be described in-detail in connection with the accompanying draw- 1 g a perspective View of the pre ferred form of-tool.

prises an easer block 1, a heel piece 2, and a smooth filler piece 3 shaped like ahalfsole'.

These partsmay be made of wood or any other suitable material. The easer block 1 has a sloping front surface i (see Fig. 4) which projects above the vamp throat 5 and recedes sharply in the direction of the ball region of the vamp. The sloping front surface 4 is transversely rounded to conform substantially to the contour of the vamp threat. The under surface of the block 1 is preferably curved or rounded in the manner shown to provide a rocking base portion 6.

The heel. piece 2 comprises a narrow elongated block which is freely insertible in the shoe against the bottom of the counter and lying on the heel seat, and is provided with a rounded end 7, adapted to rest against the counter 8, as shown. The sidesof the heel piece 2 are cut away or shaped as at 9 to prevent-contact of these portions with the flexible'sides of the counter. The preferred adjustable power mechanism, which is oper ated to separate the block 1 from the heel piece 2, is a screw member 10, one end of which is provided with a handle 11 and the other end of which is provided with a ball element 12. This ball element is adapted to be seated in a recess in the front face of the heel piece, the end of this recess being closed by a slotted plate 13 through the slot in which a reduced portion 14 of the screw extends. This ball and socket connection between the screw and the heel piece permits the heel piece to move in a plurality of planes with respect to the screw and to the easer block 1. The screw is also provided with a threaded nut 15 which has a deendent lug 16, the end of which extends into a recess 17 in the rear face of the easer block and pivoted to the easer block in said recess by means of a horizontally disposed pin 18. This connection between the lug and the easer block permits pivotal motion of the easer block in a vertical plane with respect to the lug and provides relative movement between the easer block and the screw and the heel piece. It will be noted that the connection of the ball and socket joint to the heel p-ieceis made near the bottom of the front face bringing the line of thrust through the heel piece and the screw in line with the bottom of the counter where the heel piece bears thereagainst. It will also be noted that the connection of the screw to the easer block 1 through the lug 16 is at r a point to the rear of the easer block well face on which the easer block can he slid.

above the curved base portion 6 of the easer block and consequently any thrust transmitted to the'easer block through the lug 16 will tend to tilt it forward and in so doing bring the curved upper surface of the .block into contact with the vamp throat 5 to stretch the same.

The filler piece 3 provides a smooth surforward under the action of the screw and. can freely tilt or rock thereon to perform its function. It will also be observed that by reason of the flexibility of the connections between the screw, the easer block, and

the heel piece, these parts will automatically adjust themselves in the proper positionin any type of shoe whether it be a right or left shoe or a high heeled or low heeled one.

In a modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the heel piece is inserted as before in the shoe, but in this form the adjusting mechanism comprises an elongated screw 19, having a threaded end which extei'ids through a. nut 20 in; the frontfaceof the heel piece 2 and freely enters a chamber 21 which extends longitudinally through the center of the heel piece. of the screw 19 terminates in a blunt rounded head 22, which is loosely received by a socket member disposed in a recess in the rear face of the easer block 1. The screw 1!) is adjusted. by means of an integral thumb piece 24?. The section lines a+a in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 indicate the generaldirection of the thrust between the base of the counter and the vamp throat for the different types of shoes.

In using the tool to stretch the vamp throat of a shoe the filler piece 3 i placed inside the forepart of a shoe, as shown in the drawing. The easer block is then inserted under the vamp throat with the rounded The forward end base portion resting on the smooth upper surface of the filler piece 3. The heel piece 2 is then placed on theheel seat of the shoe with its rounded rear end resting snugly against the bottom of the counter 8. In the form shown in Figs. 1. .and 2, the handle v11 is operated to force the 'easer block- I forward. In the modified form shown in Fig. 3 the thumb piece 24 is operated to effect this result. The base of the counter 8 atthe heel seat of the sole is very stiff and unyielda ing in its construction and hence when pressure is exerted thereagainst by the action of the screw, this portion does not yield and consequently the easer block is forced forward against the vamp throat whichmust yield. As the screw is turned in the proper direction the easer block is moved forward and its-top surface is thrust upwardly. due

iae

forwardly tilting easer member formed to engage only the vamp throat, and interposed means for separating the heel piece and the easer block, said heel piece and easer block being relatively vertically and laterally movable during the application of power.

2. A vamp easer comprising a heel piece,

a slidingand'forwardly tilting easer block formed to engage only the vamp throat, and interposed means for separating the heel piece and the easer block, said means being flexibly connected to the easer block and heel piece to permit them to have relative vertical and lateral movement during the application of power.

3. A vamp easer comprising a heel piece, a sliding and forwardly tilting easer block formed to engage only the vamp throat, and interposed means for separating the heel piece and the easer block, said means being flexibly connected to the easer block and the heel piece, one of the connections permitting relative movement in one plane and the other connection permitting relative movement in a plurality of planes.

4. A vamp easer comprising a heel piece, a sliding and forwardlytilting easer block formed to engage only the vamp throat, a filler piece disposed beneath the easer block to provide a smooth surface on which the block may slide and tilt, and interposed means for separating the heel piece and said block.

5. A vamp easer comprising a heel piece, a sliding and forwardly tilting easer block formed to engage only the vamp throat, a

filler piece disposed beneath the easer block to provide a smooth surface on which the block may slide and tilt, and interposed means for separating the heel piece and the easer block, said heel piece and block being relatively vertically and laterally movable during the application of power.

6. A vamp easer comprising a sliding and forwardly tilting easer block formed to engage only the throat of the vamp, the base of said block being rounded to permit it to tilt freely as it is moved forward, and a filler piece disposed beneath the block to provide a smooth surface on which the block may slide and tilt freely as it is moved forward.

. 7. A vamp easer'comprising a heel piece,

' ward.

a sliding and forwardly tiltin easer block formed to engage only the throat of the vamp, means for separating the heel piece and easer block, said 'means connected to the easer block on a horizontal pivot and to the heel piece by a ball and socket joint.

8. A vamp easer comprising a heel piece, a sliding and forwardly tilting easer block formed to engage only the throat of the vamp, a screw connected to the heel piece by a ball and socket joint, and to the easer block on a horizontal pivot, and a filler piece disposedbeneaththe easer block to permit the block to tilt freely as it is moved forward.

9. A vamp easer comprising a heel piece formed to engage the counter of a shoe only at the bottom thereof to the rear of the heel, a sliding and forwardly tilting. easer block formed to engage only the throat of the vamp, a screw connected to the heel piece by a ball and socket joint, and to the easer block on a horizontal pivot, and a filler piece disposed beneath the easer block to permit the block to 10. A vamp easer for pumps comprising a heel piece, a forwardly tiltable easer memher having its upper surface formed to'engage only that part of the upper covering the instep of the foot, and means interposed bet-ween the heel piece and the easer member for separating them to forwardly tilt the easer member. V

11. A vamp easer comprising a heel piece, a sliding and forwardly tilting easer block having its upper surface formed to engage only that part of the shoe upper covering the instep of the foot, the bottom of said block being rounded to permit it to tilt freely as it is moved forwarchand means interposed between the heel piece and the easer block for separating them to move the easer member forward.

12. A shoe easer comprising a heel piece having a socket in its forward lower portion, a forwardly and upwardly extending screw having a head loosely fitting in said socket for limited universal movement, an actuating handle on the forward end of the screw, a nut on the intermediate portion of the screw havmg. a downwardly and forwardly THEODORE CARTER.

tilt freely as it is moved for- 

